Promises Kept
by Hufflepuff-Sunflower
Summary: [Russia x Reader] When Ivan and (y/n) were five, after a horrific encounter with Ivan's grandfather, the two children made a promise. They were forced to break that promise, however. But Ivan promised (y/n) that he would come back. Ten years later, though, he's not exactly the same...[Goes from childhood to adulthood] T for swearing and... not too happy themes. Warnings inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**_UPDATE- I've read some other stories, and they have a list of_ _warnings in the first chapter, so I felt like I should do the same...__  
_This story includes:  
-Swearing  
-Abuse  
-Violence  
-Possible Character Death (I think my mind is coming up with a happier ending...)**

**If you're uncomfortable with the above, then... maybe it's best not to read this... (Though part of it will happen _much_ later.)**

The small car drove along the highway, following the moving van that was a few kilometres away. Inside, a five-year-old girl with two medium length (h/c) braids bounced around eagerly in her carseat, much to the annoyance of her mother, who was in the passenger seat in front of her. After half an hour of this, she'd had enough.

"(y/n)!" she yelled. "What the f*** do you think you're doing?!"

"Language!" shouts the father, swerving out of the way of a black four-wheel-drive, which was obviously being driven by someone who was intoxicated.

The mother sighed, trying to regain her composure. "What are you doing, (y/n)?"

"I'm just looking around, mummy," (y/n) replied, finally settling down in her seat, fearful of her mother's temper.

"She's just excited, darling," the father defends.

"Well I don't want to hear it! I've got a headache from all this moving crap; I didn't even want to move!"

"We'll all have a better life here, okay? Hey, (y/n), looking forward to making some new friends?" (y/n) nodded her head vigorously.

"Mm hmm! Can't wait, can't wait~!" she sung, kicking her feet against the passenger seat in excitement. Her mother swore under her breath, causing the father to laugh, which, in turn, earned him a glare.

They arrived at their new house after about an hour. The moving van had already arrived, and had begun to set up the furniture.

"Rob, can you keep her outside, please?" the mother asks, not wanting (y/n) to get in the way while they rearranged things they didn't like.

"Sure thing, Rhonda. Hey, (y/n), why don't you play outside?" he asked, turning to (y/n), who was sitting on the staircase. "The swing set is already set up."

"Alright, daddy!" (y/n) shouted, and ran back outside. She had always been a happy, excitable child. She wasn't interested in the swings, but a tree was out in the front yard, and she ran over to it, in hopes of climbing it. She stopped, however, upon hearing a voice.

"Who are you?" it asked. It had a German accent. (y/n) didn't see anybody around, and started freaking out.

"Th-the tree is alive?!" she shouted, jumping backwards. The voice laughed.

"I'm not a tree! I'm a boy!" The boy stayed behind the tree, wanting to keep this hilarity going.

"Whaaat?! I didn't know trees were boys or girls... aren't they just trees?"

The boy laughed, and stepped around the tree, so that he was in (y/n)'s line of sight. "Are you dumb or something?" he laughed. (y/n) was surprised to see such a short old person.

"Oh, hello! How come you don't have wrinkles?"

The boy looked horrified. "Me?! Have wrinkles?! Mein Gott, you really must be dumb! What kind of eight-year-old has wrinkles?!"

"B-but your hair... it's white..."

"Ja, and your hair is (h/c), but what difference does it make?"

"A-and your eyes are red..." (y/n) stuttered, taking a step back. "ARGH! YOU'RE A VAMPIRE!" she yelled, backing away as the 'realisation' hit her.

"I'm not a vampire! I'm just awesome!" the boy shouts, jabbing his thumb at his chest. "You didn't answer my question. Who are you? I didn't know old man Edelstein had any GIRL grandkids."

"Who's old man Edelstein? Did he live here?"

"Ja... who are you? Answer me!"

"B-but mummy said never to talk to strangers."

"Whatever. I'm the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt."

"Uhm... well, I guess I can tell you my name now... "I'm (y/n) (l/n)." (y/n) paused for a moment, before she started laughing. "Gilbert? That's a funny name!"

"WHAT?!"Gilbert shouted, glaring at her. "I don't like you." And (y/n) didn't really like this Gilbert person either.

"So, what was old man Edelstein like? You said he had grandkids..."

"Ja, but Roderich's not very awesome at all. All he does all day is his violin and piano lessons."

"He plays a violin?!" (y/n) had fallen in love with the instrument when she'd seen and heard the lovely music it produced- when played correctly- when her grandma would watch Andre Rieu on TV.

"Ja... so?" Another boy came out of the house. He had blonde hair and electric blue eyes.

"Gilbert!" he shouted. "Wurst's ready."

"Haha! How awesome! Gotta go!" And with that, Gilbert ran back into his house, followed by the younger boy.

"He was weird..." (y/n) muttered to herself, and continued trying to climb the tree , now that she knew it wasn't alive. She tried climbing for another hour before her father came outside.

"Darling, the basics are set up- do you want your sandwich now?"

"Yes, please, Daddy! Oh- I met one of our neighbours!"

"Really?" Rob asks, leading (y/n) inside.

"Yep! He lives next door! He was kinda annoying... he kept saying 'awesome'. Oh- and he has white hair, and red eyes! I thought he was a vampire!"

Rob looked at (y/n) in concern. He didn't know there were any old people in this neighbourhood- not since Mr Edelstein moved out, anyway. "How old was he?" he asked, slowly.

"He's only eight. But his brother might be my age."

Rob sighed in relief. The last thing they needed in a new neighbourhood was a paedophile. "He must be an albino, then-" It was then that he realised what his daughter had said. "-not a vampire! Don't be silly, (y/n), vampires _aren't _real!"

"But they look pretty real, in those movies Mummy watches..."

"What, Twilight? That's nowhere good enough to call a movie."

"Not like Star Wars!" (y/n) shouted excitedly. Rob laughed, and ruffled her hair.

"I've taught you well!" he exclaimed, and they walked inside to get lunch.

**_First of all, I'm going to warn you- this is NOT going to be a happy story. If you know the fan theories about the countries BEFORE they were countries, then you should have an inkling as to where this is going. Believe me, I'm not enjoying what I have to write...  
But I guess inspiration hits where it hits, and I should practice writing sadder, more serious stories._**

**_Also, this story is set in Australia, and some events are like what has happened in my life- not all, just some._**

**_Please, tell me what you think~! Constructive criticism is welcomed~!_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter**_** Two  
**_(Part of this is based off Beautiful World Episode 4)_

It had been two months since the (l/n)s had moved into their large, new town. (y/n) was just starting school- even though it was already almost winter, halfway through the year. Rob walked her through the front gat e of the school, and she stared at all the kids running around, shouting, and playing and being chased...

"Why do you keep running away?!" shouted a boy (y/n) recognised as Gilbert. He, along with another boy around his age, were chasing a smaller blonde boy.

"Because you are mean to me!" he cried, with a Russian accent. "Please, stop!" But they didn't stop. As they ran past (y/n) and her father, (y/n) grabbed Gilbert's sleeve.

"Oi! That's not very nice, Gilbert!" she yelled, holding his sleeve tightly. He laughed. "It's not funny! He's littler than you!" Gilbert stopped laughing.

"Are you calling the awesome me 'little'?!"

(y/n) stopped and thought. That would annoy him, wouldn't it? "Yep." Gilbert glanced at her, but did nothing, because her father was there, looming over them.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop," he said, wrenching his arm away from (y/n), and skulking away.

"That was very good of you, (y/n). Remember, it's not fun if not everyone is having fun."

"I know, Daddy. I don't think that boy was having fun. Was he crying?"

"Yes... I think so." He led her to the office, where he sign her in. "I'll see you this afternoon, okay, (y/n)?"

"Yes, Daddy!" (y/n) hugged him tightly. "Love you!" she called, as a friendly-looking teacher led her to her class. Rob waved, feeling sad as he saw his little girl being led away.

"I love you too, darling."

(y/n) was sat at the front of her class, next to a blonde boy with a cowlick at the top of his head. He talked with an American accent. (y/n) recognised it because of all the American movies she'd watched. His name was Alfred Jones.

"I wish we weren't at school right now," he complained to her, resting his head on his hand. "I wish I was at McDonald's..."

"I like Maccas, too. But I've never been to school before, so-"

Alfred didn't pay attention to the whole 'no school' thing. "What the heck is Maccas?"

"Maccas is McDonald's..." she replied slowly. She'd grown up hearing that- it was an Aussie term. "I like _McDonald's_, but I like my Mummy's pasta bake better."

"Did you say pasta?!" the brunette boy behind her exclaimed. He seemed to have his eyes closed, and he also had a little curl in his hair. The nametag on his desk read 'Feliciano Vargas'.

"Yeah! I love pasta!" (y/n) replied, turning around fully in her seat to face him. Because her parents could never really be bothered to cook much, it was over fifty per cent of her diet.

"Here we go again..." the blonde boy beside Feliciano groaned. (y/n) recognised him from next door.

"You're Gilbert's brother, aren't you?"

"Ja, Gilbert is my bruder. I wish he wasn't, though."

"I knew he was annoying!"

"Class! That's enough talking please. This is (y/n) (l/n), and she's never been to school before. Do your best to make her feel welcome, okay?" The teacher continued on, and (y/n) felt like someone was watching her. "Now, will someone like to show her around the school during big lunch and little lunch?" There was silence. No one really wanted to, except for one, near the back of the classroom. He raised his hand, slowly.

"I will, if no one else wants to..."

(y/n) and everyone else turned to look at the boy. (y/n) recognised him as the boy Gilbert was chasing. All of a sudden, other people started volunteering, too. They all thought letting him show (y/n) around was a bad idea.

"We can't leave her with him!" shouted Alfred, jumping up and down in his seat. The cowlick on his head was bobbing up and down.

"I agree, aru!"

Everyone was suddenly yelling about how (y/n) shouldn't be left with the boy. He furrowed his eyebrows and bit his lip, hurt in his eyes as he lowered his hand. The teacher looked around, disapprovingly. "Ivan can do it."

"But missss..." Alfred groaned.

"Alfred, shush. Now, time for maths!"

"Well, good luck, (y/n)!" Alfred whispered, as the teacher turned to clean the board.

"What do you mean, Alfred?"

"He's a weirdo! Argh, you'll see. Soo... do you like video games?" (y/n) nodded her head, remembering all the hours she'd spent playing Mario, Tetris and the Legend of Zelda with her father. "Cool!"

"Alfred Jones, stay quiet, please."

"You left out the 'F.'!" Alfred shouted.

The teacher sighed. "Alfred F. Jones, stay quiet, please."

"Yes, Miss Nelson."

"Alright, now, can anyone tell me what five plus six is?" Everyone groaned. In their few months of schooling, they'd learnt that maths was a very annoying thing.

Over an hour later, the bell rang, and (y/n) packed up her bag.

"You leave the bag inside." (y/n) looked up in surprise to see the boy from before standing there.

"What?"

"Only take your lunch- bag stays inside. Oh- and hat." His sentence structure was horrible, even for a five-year-old.

"I... don't have a hat."

"Then you sit in the shade. I will too. I don't have a hat as well."

"I'm (y/n)," she said, holding her hand out to him, like her father had taught her to.

"I am Ivan Braginski," he replied, smiling, and taking her hand. He was holding a small lunchbox in his other hand, and, after the handshake, she grabbed hers too.

"That's a cool name," she said to him, following him through the hallway. He took a moment to process what she said.

"What? Cool...? My name is not cold..."

"Cool means... um..." (y/n) thought everyone knew what 'cool' meant, but apparently not. "It's a nice name," she said instead.

"Oh. Thank you," Ivan said, as he continued walking. He was a few centimetres taller than (y/n), and was the tallest in the year. As the two passed an open door that led to the playground, a bright orange basketball flew through it, hitting Ivan in the head. He cried out in pain, and dropped his lunchbox as his hands flew up to his head. In the playground, Gilbert was laughing his head off. Ivan stood there, breathing deeply, squeezing his eyes shut. He'd already been hit on the head that morning... (y/n) picked up the ball and pegged it back at Gilbert, hitting him in the stomach and knocking the wind out of him.

"Are you okay, Ivan?!" she asked, running in front of him. He opened his eyes, and looked at her.

"Da... it has happened many times..." He put on a smile, but (y/n) could tell it was fake. When (y/n) caught a proper glimpse of his eyes, she gasped, and he looked at her, confused.

"Ivan! Your eyes!"

"What? What is wrong-"

"They're really pretty~!" His eyes were a beautiful shade of violet, and they widened in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah! They're much cooler- erm, nicer- than Gilbert's red ones! Those kinda freak me out..."

Ivan laughed, smiling for real, now. "We should eat, da?"

"What? What's 'da'?"

"...It is yes."

"What?! I've never heard that before!"

"...Yes in Russian." That sounded familiar to (y/n), but she wasn't really sure about what it was. Ivan picked up on this. "Russian is what people speak in Russia. Where I am from."

"Oh! Like where Anastasia's from?" (y/n) asked, remembering the movie.

"Da. My grandfather moved here, and took my sisters and I with him."

"So... that's why you talk kinda funny?" Ivan nodded slowly. "That's really cool! You know two languages, and you're only five! I only know English... Yes, we should eat."

"You will teach what 'cool' means, da...?" Ivan trailed off, upon seeing the contents of his lunchbox spilled across the floor. The lid had burst off it when it hit the ground. He sighed, picking up the box and beginning to walk out the door. "Coming?"

"But... what about all the food?"

"They have cleaners... it's much for a kid."

"Oh, okay then. Don't you feel sad, though? About not having lunch?"

Ivan shrugged. "It is always bad. Grandfather cannot cook."

(Y/n) walked forward a few steps, to where Ivan had gone ahead, on his way outside. You can share my food, Ivan." They continued out the door to find a seat.

"Really?"

"Of course! That's what friends do!"

Ivan stopped in his tracks, looking directly at (y/n). "We... are friends?"

"Yeah!"

Ivan laughed happily, and ran up to (y/n), wrapping her in a tight hug. "I never had friends before." The ecstasy in his voice was unbelievable. The two children sat down, under the shade, eating the carrot sticks that (y/n)'s mother had made. Afterwards, Ivan showed her where the bubblers, the canteen, the bathrooms and the staffroom were. Teachers that passed were glad to see a genuine smile on the boy's face for once, and a friend by his side. Miss Nelson smiled smugly as she walked past the two, clutching a cup of tea. Soon, it was the end of recess, and (y/n) and Ivan headed back to class.

"Who spilled all that food?!" exclaimed Alfred in distress, as the class lined up outside the classroom, waiting for Miss Nelson. "Who could waste it?!"

Ivan and (y/n) looked at each other, with raised eyebrows, wondering what they were going to say. "It was Gilbert Beilschmidt!" (y/n) yelled. And it wasn't a _total_ lie. Gilbert's brother shook his head slowly, while (y/n) and Ivan giggled. Out of nowhere, Miss Nelson arrived, and let the children into the room.

"So, you survived?" asked Alfred, when the class resumed their seats.

"Of course! Ivan's really nice, Alfred."

"But he's creepy! And he talks weird!"

"He's only five, and just learning English. I think, for that, he's doing more than fine."

Alfred sighed. "Whatever."

"If anyone's weird, it's _you_," (y/n) said, under her breath, giving Alfred a quick glare. She then turned around in her seat to smile at Ivan, who, she noticed, was at a desk by himself. Did everyone think he was strange? (y/n) wondered how lonely he must've been before today.

After the home bell rang, Ivan waited with (y/n) for her father. "Why doesn't your granddad pick you up?" she asked. Ivan shrugged.

"Yekaterina and I walk to school and home. She's in year three."

"Is Yekaterina your sister?"

"Da. The older one."

"You have other sisters?"

"One. Natalya." He smiled at the mention of his little sister.

"You guys have such cool names. How old is Natalya?"

"Three."

Just then, (y/n)'s father's blue Holden pulled up beside the footpath. "Hey, (y/n)!" he called, rolling down the window.

"Hi, daddy!" she called back, picking up her bag, and walking towards the car. Ivan followed her. "Daddy, this is Ivan."

"Hello, Ivan," Rob said, managing to open the back door from his seat in the front. (Was (y/n) good at school?" he asked jokingly.

"Da. She is very nice and smart," Ivan said, smiling at (y/n). "She is my first friend."

"Well, that's nice," Rob replied, not quite sure what he meant. "Ivan, where's your dad?"

"Somewhere in Russia."

"Oh... and your mum?"

"Same."

He looked at Ivan, concerned. "Who looks after you...?" he asked slowly.

"My grandfather."

"Should he be picking you up?"

"No... I walk."

"What?! No way! I'm not letting a five-year-old walk alone! Get in the car, Ivan."

"What about Yekaterina?" (y/n) asked Ivan, who had a surprised look on his face.

"She already left."

"Well, hop in. Oh- remember, never just get in the car with a stranger."

Ivan stared at him. "You... _are_ stranger..."

"Riiight. Good job. This is the only okay time, since I'm (y/n)'s dad."

"Alright." The two children sat in the back seat, and talked about random things until they reached Ivan's house. He told Rob how to get there, stopping the conversation every few minutes. (y/n) wanted to keep him talking- she really liked his accent. The car pulled up outside the house, and Ivan undid his seatbelt, picking his bag up off the floor. (y/n) and her father had a strange feeling about this place.

"Ivan... are you sure this is your house?" Rob asked, turning around in his seat to face the boy.

"Da, thank you for driving," Ivan said, jumping out of the car. A stern-looking old man came outside at the sound of the car. Ivan looked a bit scared. (y/n) and her father got out of the car, too.

"That is grandfather," Ivan whispered to (y/n). He seemed to be trembling a bit. "Privyet, dedushka. **I'm home**."

**"Who's this?**"

"**She's my friend...**"

"**What are they doing here?**"

"Hello..." Rob said, nervously. "I'm sorry if there's any problem, but I didn't think it wise to let a five-year-old walk all this way by himself, so I dropped him off. I hope you don't mind."

Ivan's grandfather looked at him for a moment, the hint of a glare on his face, before responding. "Ivan has told me that he wishes to walk home of an afternoon. To process what he's learnt, without being interrupted." Ivan looked away, and (y/n) could tell that he was lying. There was something about this man that struck fear in her, and... did the air also seem to get cold?

"Uh, right, well, we'll be leaving now... goodbye..." Rob said hastily, grabbing (y/n) and putting her in the car before he got in and started it.

"Bye, Ivan!" (y/n) called, waving and smiling at her new friend. He smiled and waved back, before his grandfather dragged him into the house.

"(y/n)... I think you should be careful about him..." Rob said to (y/n), navigating their way back home.

As soon as Ivan and his grandfather got in the door, Natalya ran up to Ivan and held him tight. "**Don't leave again...**" she cried. Ivan's heart momentarily stopped when he saw red smeared across her shirt.

**"Natalya, go and clean up your paints,**" their grandfather said. Ivan sighed with relief. He'd thought the red was... something else. When Natalya left the room, Ivan's grandfather slapped him across the face. Ivan didn't even question why. He hung his head, picked up his bag and walked slowly to his room. He'd thought that today would be better... ever since (y/n) had stopped Gilbert, and then becoming her friend... but that was only school.

"**Are you okay, Vanya?**" Yekaterina asked, when he passed her in the hallway.

"**Yes, sister, I'm fine,"** he replied, smiling.

**Bold- Words in other languages. I don't trust Google Translate, and it's a bit awkward asking my friend who knows Russian this...**

**This is why this story is in a normal story format, not like most reader inserts. I need to show different points of view, and that's the easiest way to do so.**

**Now, I see Russia as having been a completely innocent child, who was corrupted, and... um... I think you get my drift. I'm not so sure how to explain it. But that's how he'll be in this story. And at the moment, Belarus isn't _obsessed_ with Russia. **

**_Believe me- I DON'T LIKE DOING THIS TO POOR IVAN! He's my absolute favourite character, but... I'm sorry..._**

**_There's one more chapter of childhood, and then it's ten years later. Things get... a little better._**

**_Please, tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is welcomed~!_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**First of all, thank you to those who've followed this story and added it to their favourites~! I'm glad you're enjoying it~  
Oh yes, and remember how last chapter I said there'd be one more chapter of childhood? I'm going to extend that to two... **_

_**Chapter Three**_

Over the next few weeks, (y/n) and Ivan had become greater friends. He came home with her every day after school, and on weekends, too. Yekaterina would always walk over to pick him up. Whenever (y/n) said something about going over to his house, he'd change the subject immediately.

"Ivan, is there something wrong?" she asked one day, near the school holidays. The two were sitting on a hill near the fence at the edge of the school grounds.

"N-no. Nothing wrong. Everything is normal."

(y/n) looked at him doubtfully. "Alright then... this weekend, I'm coming over to your house." His eyes opened wide in panic.

"No! No, (y/n), you can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because... it's all messy. Natalya had a tantrum..."

"Ivan..."

"Um... that was a lie. Grandfather had a bit too much adult drink..."

"Ivan."

He sighed. "Yes, you can come over to my home... on Saturday. Grandfather won't be home on Saturday."

"Alrighty then!" (y/n) said happily, and they resumed the conversation they'd been having before. Ivan was distracted, though.

Winter was on its way, so on Saturday, (y/n) wore her favourite (f/c) overalls and (2f/c) long-sleeved shirt. "Honey, I don't think you should go over there," Rob said, remembering the strange feeling he got around the house.

"It's okay, Daddy, we'll be fine!" She ran and waited outside for Yekaterina and Ivan to come pick her up. She still hadn't succeeded in climbing that pesky tree, so she tried again, when Ludwig, Gilbert's brother, came out of the house next door with a large plastic bag.

"Guten tag, (y/n)," he said, dumping the bad in the bin. "How come you're out here? Did you get in trouble or something?"

"No, I'm waiting for Ivan and his sister. I'm going to their place today!"

He stayed silent. "Be careful," he said, before returning inside.

"Bye to you too!" she shouted. All this time had passed, and she still had no idea why everyone was so weirded out by Ivan.

"Hello, (y/n)!" Ivan shouted, running up the pathway, a long scarf trailing behind him. Yekaterina came into view a few seconds later.

"Hi, Ivan! I like your scarf!"

"it was mine," Yekaterina said, smiling at (y/n). "Wow, your house is nice."

"Ready to go?" Ivan asked. An old, silver car drove past, not that any of the kids noticed. (y/n) nodded her head. "Alright, then. Let's go!" The three kids headed back the way the two siblings had come, back to their house. They talked about trivial things, like the changing weather, school, and what they'd do when they reached their destination. As the three children walked through the front yard, no one noticed the silver car in the driveway. As soon as they walked through the front door, they could tell something was wrong. For one thing, Natalya was crying.

"Natalya?!" Ivan called, running through the loungeroom to the hallway in between it and the kitchen, where his sister's voice was coming from. (y/n) went to run after him, but Yekaterina held her back, a grave look on her face. Ivan ran through the hallway. Surely she hadn't gotten into the cutlery drawer again, had she? He stopped short, horrified at the sight in front of him. Natalya was being shaken and hit by their grandfather, who had an angry, unfocused look in his eyes.

"**Grandfather, what are you doing?!**" he cried, pain in his voice. The little boy ran forward, and somehow managed to get the little girl out of the old man's grip. "**Natalya, are you okay?**" She didn't reply, but began to silently weep, and buried her head into her brother's chest.

Out in the front room, (y/n) struggled in Yekaterina's grip, not sure what the foreign words she was hearing meant.

Ivan turned his head towards his grandfather. "**...Why...?**" He smelled alcohol. "**You've been drinking too much again!**" He looked back to his little sister and said softly, "**Get Yekaterina to run you a bath, okay? And then go to sleep.**" He kissed her on the top of the head, and she nodded and walked slowly out to her sister, and Ivan's friend.

"**Grandfather you can't hit Natalya! Or Yekaterina! You CAN'T! Okay?!**" The old man took a threatening step towards the small boy, and towered over him. Despite the brave face Ivan put on, he whimpered in fear, knowing what would come next. But he stood his ground.

With a single blow, Ivan was knocked to the floor, pain shooting throughout his small body. Seconds later, he received such a hard, forceful kick to the middle that he rolled all the way out into the loungeroom.

(y/n) screamed when she saw Ivan roll into the room, tears in his eyes. And now, Yekaterina wasn't there to hold her back. She ran over to Ivan, worry all over her small face. "Ivan?! Are you okay?! Ivan, what happened?!" He looked up at her from the floor, panic in his violet eyes.

"**Go!**" he cried, then remembered that (y/n) didn't speak Russian. "Go! Before-"

But it was too late. Ivan's grandfather had seen (y/n), and turned on her. She screamed again, and yelled for him to let her go, but he wouldn't. Ivan lay on the floor, the wind still knocked out of him, forced to watch his only friend in the world get beaten... forced to sit there... powerless to stop his grandfather... he could do nothing..._ nothing_...

Mustering up any amount of strength he could, Ivan stood up. He didn't know what happened, but next thing he knew, he and (y/n) were running out the door, hand in hand, his grandfather standing still in shock. (y/n) was stumbling a bit, still confused as to what she had just witnessed.

"Come on, (y/n)!" Ivan yelled in desperation, pulling her down the pathway. "Come on, (y/n), we have to run! RUN!"

The unknown edge to his voice scared (y/n) a bit, making her pick up the pace. The two small children ran as fast as their small legs would carry them. None of the passing adults even questioned why, even if they saw their panicked faces. Ivan's scarf fluttered out behind him as they ran. They made it a few blocks before Ivan clutched his ribs in pain.

"Stop... please... (y/n)... stop..." he gasped, collapsing to the ground, facing the sky, breathing heavily. His ribs hurt badly, from when he'd been kicked.

"Ivan, what just happened...?" (y/n) asked, pulling him into a sitting position against the nearby fence. He looked at her, an apologetic expression on his face.

"(y/n)... this is why no one visits..."

"Da... many times..."

Lots of people passed by, but no one paid attention to the two young children sitting against the fence, even after dark. During the afternoon, Ivan had closed his eyes. (y/n) panicked, fearing her friend had died, but she calmed down when she heard him breathing. She carefully took his scarf away from around his neck, so that he wouldn't be strangled while he slept. She gasped when she saw marks around his neck.

"(y/n)?" he said sleepily, after a few hours.

"Yes, Ivan?"

"You... you're going to leave now, da? Leave... me?" (y/n) looked at Ivan in surprise.

"Ivan, I would never leave you alone."

"That is what mother and father said... and grandmother, too..."

(y/n) hugged Ivan, surprising him. He let out a short moan of pain, but didn't protest. "Don't worry, I swear, I will stick with you, forever and ever. Cross my heart and hope to die."

Ivan smiled, not quite understanding the last bit, but he got what she meant. "I will stay with you always, too. I promise." He returned the hug. Soon, it started getting cold, but neither of the two showed any intention of moving. Ivan wrapped them both up in his long, warm scarf. They stayed there for hours, until the sky was pitch black. (y/n) heard someone calling her name, but as they drew closer, she fell asleep, leaning on Ivan, unable to keep her eyes open any longer. Ivan held her tighter as he looked up nervously at the man who walked towards them.

**_Please don't hate me... I REALLY didn't want to do this... Like, really, really, REALLY. I love Russia. *hugs Russia*_**

**_So, in case you haven't guessed, Ivan's grandfather is General Winter. I read that he attacked Russia every year, so... _**

**_I felt sick while writing this. And I was in the middle of class, too. _**

**_I read all these stories of deviantART about the reader getting bullied and abused... and Russia being happy as can be. So, I figured, why not have a perfectly normal reader? Sadly, songs and stories gave me inspiration for this..._**


	4. Chapter 4

**...Hi... Thank you if you sticked around after the last chapter... And thank you for the follows and favourites. I'm glad people are enjoying the story~**

_**Chapter**_** Four**

(y/n) woke up the next morning in her (f/c) bedroom. She panicked for a bit, remembering the previous day's events. She calmed down a bit, and decided that she probably shouldn't tell her parents about what happened... they would probably never let her see Ivan again. She got up, and caught her reflection in the mirror. She had a huge, dark bruise on her cheek, near her eye. She forgot it when she smelt waffles in the kitchen. She followed the smell, to find her father at the toaster, and her mother at the table, clutching a cup of coffee. They looked like they had just finished talking.

(y/n) decided to pretend yesterday didn't happen. "Morning~," she sang, skipping into the room. Hopefully, her parents wouldn't notice the bruise on her cheek- that she had only just remembered. Rhonda looked at (y/n), worry in her eyes. She set her cup down, and scooped (y/n) up in her arms.

"Baby, are you alright?" she asked.

"W-what do you mean, Mummy?"

Rob turned to face them, plate of waffles in hand, eyebrows furrowed. "Did he knock the memories out of you, or something?"

"You... know...?"

"Yes, your friend told us what happened."

"Where _is_ Ivan?" (y/n) asked, fearing the answer.

"He's at his house. With his family. He said it was the first time it ever happened, and that his grandfather had had too much 'adult drink'. He should be fine." (y/n) didn't correct him. She was stunned at the cruelty of her own parents. "Anyway, that's all behind us now. The Braginskis are none of our concern." He then added happily, "Who wants waffles?"

(y/n) gaped at her father. 'None of our concern'? What did he mean by that? She began to slowly eat the waffles that were placed on her plate, staring at her father, a question burning in the back of her mind. _Will I ever be able to see him again?_ Rob somehow sensed this.

"No," he said, sternly. "No, you can't see him. The teachers told me he gets bullied at school, and add yesterday's incident... I don't want you getting mixed up in all that, and I don't think that boy's right. Plus, I had to fight the little brat to get you out of his arms." He didn't realise he'd said that last part aloud. He swore when he did, and added, "I couldn't understand a word the kid was saying."

Ivan didn't show up at school the next day. Or for the rest of the week.

"Don't worry! He always misses out on lots of days of school!" Alfred told (y/n) when she voiced her concern. In Ivan's absence, (y/n) had befriended three girls, Elizaveta, Bella and Lili, and a Japanese boy named Kiku. But none of them could make up for the lack of Ivan's presence. He would bring happiness into any room he entered, and his smile and laugh were contagious.

"Should I be worried about Ivan?" (y/n) asked Kiku on Wednesday. Since that first day of school, she'd gotten a hat, but she still sat in the shad with the still-hatless Ivan. Currently, she sat with the Japanese boy at a table in the sun.

"I don't know. He's usually at school, even when he's sick, but sometimes he does disappear for a few days," he replied solemnly. "I noticed, though, that he hasn't been away at all since you came here." Kiku never talked much, but when he did, it was usually mature for someone his age.

The next Saturday, (y/n) was awoken early in the morning by a tapping at her window. She opened the (f/c) curtains to see a distressed-looking Ivan standing on the other side. She quickly opened the window so that she could talk to him.

"Ivan!"

"(y/n)... I... have to leave... Grandfather is taking us back to Russia..."

"W-what?" The happiness (y/n) felt upon seeing Ivan's familiar, round face suddenly disappeared. Ivan looked extremely sad.

"(y/n)... I am sorry I have to break the promise... but..." His face lit up. "I will come back- and- and you will remember, da? That... that could be our new promise!"

"Of course! I will always remember you! And it's not your fault... I wish you didn't have to go..."

"I don't want to go... not with grandfather... I want to stay! With you!" A car horn beeped in the distance. He sighed. "I have to go... do svidanya, (y/n)..." He walked solemnly back to the car out in the front yard, keeping his eyes on (y/n)'s head, sticking out of the window. He stopped at the mailbox, and took a piece of paper out of his coat. Glancing at the car, he slid it through the slot. He turned back to (y/n) one last time, gave her one last smile, a sad smile, waved, before he was pulled into the silver car by his grandfather. He didn't even have time to put on his seatbelt as the car sped off towards the airport.

(y/n) looked at the digital clock beside her bed. It was only 6 o'clock, her parents wouldn't be up for another hour or so, and she wouldn't be allowed to go outside until then. She stayed in bed for half an hour, until she couldn't take it anymore. She got changed, and ran out the front door to the mailbox. She pulled out the A4 piece of paper, which turned out to be the painting Ivan had done in Art the week before his absence. It was a watercolour painting of a sunflower. Ivan adored the beautiful yellow flowers, and had taken a lot of time getting everything perfect. It looked pretty good for a painting by a five-year-old. But now there was writing at the bottom. (y/n) couldn't read it. She heard a plane going overhead, and it was fairly close to the ground, as if it had just taken off. (y/n) didn't know if it was the plane Ivan was on, but she waved anyway.

Up on the plane, Ivan was looking gloomily out the window, down at the houses not too far below. He saw a speck that looked suspiciously like (y/n), and waved, knowing fully well that she wouldn't see.

(y/n) looked back at the lovely painting, walking back inside as she tried to read the words:

**_'Я тебя люблю'._**

_**'Я тебя люблю'- I love you, in Russian. Buuut if you're like me, and have read lots of Russia x Reader stories, (or looked up the lyrics to Carrot and Stick... *shudders*) you should know that.**_

_**It's quite a sad chapter... no... a sad story... I feel bad for writing this... I honestly do...**_

_**The 'no hat' thing comes from a rule that we had at my primary school. "No hat, no play." And people would always end it with "No school today," for some random reason.**_

_**Next chapter will be ten years later, as teenagers. So, please, tell me what you think~ Once again, constructive criticism is welcome~**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Argh! Sorry for a long wait! My computer was being a total jerk, and I couldn't click on ANYTHING. It's somehow fixed now... Anyway, so, now begins the teenage years of the story, and things get a little better. I'm not writing about Ivan's time in Russia, because I know very little about the place. (I WILL be doing research on it, though.) Well, I do know two random things that popped up on my Facebook feed. 1. There's a subway station in Moscow with a machine that accepts 30 squats as payment, instead of money. 2. Apparently, beer wasn't considered alcohol until 2010/11 (can't remember which). Apparently anything with less then 10% alcohol is considered soft drink. o_O That's really weird... ANYWAY, ON WITH THE STORY!**_

_**Chapter Five**_

**~Ten Years Later~**

"C'mon, dudes! Order up! We're not gonna be here all day- but I'd love that!" Alfred yelled, jabbing his fingers towards the McDonald's menu, urging the others to hurry up and order.

"All this fatty food is going to clog your arteries."

"Hah! Like your petrified couch stuffing is any better!"

"Those are scones, you w****r!"

"Arthur! Alfred! Shut up!" (y/n) shouted, as the two boys began to argue. She was now fifteen, and had (h/l), (h/c) hair. "I'll just have a Medium Value Meal, please," she said to the cashier.

"A salad for me," stated Arthur Kirkland, glaring under his thick eyebrows at Alfred.

"Aw, you guys suck! Two large Big Macs, please!"

The cashier would've stared at Alfred incredulously, if he wasn't a regular customer. She just sighed, and handed them their meal when it was ready.

"So, we really need to discuss our assignment," Arthur stated, picking at his salad. "I can't believe we left it this late..."

"Don't worry, dude! We're totes gonna do this, brah!"

Arthur glared at Alfred. "Alfred, _please_, will you use proper English? You're giving me a headache!" (y/n) gave a quick laugh, and smiled sadly, remembering Ivan. How would Arthur feel about his poorly-structured English? These thoughts, like usual, turned to others- was Ivan okay? Did his grandfather do worse to him? She'd never heard word from him, even after ten years. She was worried. A voice interrupted her thoughts. "(y/n)? Are you alright?" Arthur asked, concerned.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine... just remembering an old friend."

"Okay, good. I just wanted to make sure you weren't getting all... depressed again."

"Arthur, I was _not_ depressed, and- even if I was- I had good reason to be."

"Alright, alright, let's get back on topic... Biology." Alfred and (y/n) groaned. "If only we could dissect frogs... then I could pretend it was Bonnefoy..."

"You know, Artie, you get a little creepy when you talk about Francis," Alfred stated, digging in to one of his burgers.

"Don't call me Artie!"

"Guys!" (y/n) shouted. She was stuck with these two because there was an odd amount of students in her class. They'd beckoned her over, even though she was about to join Lili and Elizaveta.

A few hours later, and they'd barely made any progress on their disease poster. Alfred walked (y/n) home, as it was already dark. "So, (y/n), if you don't mind me asking... who was this old friend?" Alfred had some moments when he could be serious- this was one of them. (y/n) looked at him and sighed.

"You remember kindergarten, yeah?"

"Pretty much. I remember Feli somehow managed to make paint explode." The pair laughed. (y/n) remembered that day. It was before Ivan left. He had bright blue paint all through his light blonde hair.

'Do you remember... Ivan...?"

"What?! That weird Russian kid? Yeah... Geez, (y/n), why do you still remember him?" (y/n) shrugged. She still had the sunflower picture in a safe place in her room, in her dad's apartment.

"I dunno, Alfred," she lied.

"God, how could you hang out with him so much?"

"He was very sweet. Plus I didn't see you stopping me."

"Well, um... that's because... uh..."

"Why do you even bother walking with me if you're just going to criticize me so much? You're worse than Arthur. Here we are- see ya, Alfred."

Alfred stared after her, dumbstruck. "I... I had to walk you home! I'm the hero!" he called out, as she walked down the pathway to the front door. She shook her head as she entered the stairwell.

"Hello, (y/n)," Lili called, as she opened the door to her and her brother's apartment, trash bag in hand. Lili and her brother lived on the floor below (y/n) and her father.

"Hey, Lili." (y/n) sighed as she carried her schoolbag up the last flight of stairs. "I'm home, Dad!" she called, as she walked through the door. Rob waved from the table where he was doing paperwork. (y/n) walked into her room, and opened one of the two top drawers of her dresser, pulling out a few papers. One of them was the old sunflower picture. **_'Я тебя_**** люблю'**... She still had no idea what those words meant, and didn't know anyone who knew Russian to translate. She looked at the other picture. It was a photograph her mother had taken, of her and Ivan, out in the backyard of their old house. They both had bright, happy smiles on their faces. "Ivan... what happened to you...?" she asked the thin air.

"Honey, do you mind cooking dinner?"

"I already ate, Dad."

"Oh. Right." Then followed the sounds of Rob looking around the kitchen for any remaining food. (y/n) shook her head again and sighed, looking back to the pictures. She heard three people happily talking loudly down in the street below. _They must be the new neighbours,_ she thought, and looked out the window. One of the old apartment tenants (across the hall) had moved out, and a new one was moving in. Today was the day, but (y/n) didn't think they'd be so late. It was ten o'clock on a Friday night. "Quiet down there!" she shouted down to them, annoyed.

"Sorry!" called back an accented male voice. (y/n) sat back in her seat, looking at the other pictures in her drawers, and getting lost in memories, before the accent's familiarity hit her. She jumped back to the window, only to see a girl younger than her walking sulkily through the front door.

"Don't be stupid. Not every guy with a Russian accent is Ivan," (y/n) scolded herself, shaking the stupid thoughts out of her head. Her phone buzzed, and she unlocked it to see that she had a message from Lili.

_Did you hear those people? Are they our new neighbours?_

_I believe so_. (y/n) replied.

_I hope they're not that noisy all the time._

_XD Me too._

"(y/n)! It's time for bed!" called Rob. "No more computer or anything tonight, okay? You need to get up early to go to your mother's tomorrow!"

"Yes, Dad!" (y/n) replied, changing into her (f/c) pyjamas and getting into her bed. Her alarm clock rang at six, and she got up and packed her bag to go to her old house. The house she'd lived in when Ivan would always visit. It belonged to her mother now, and had, ever since her parents had gotten divorced. By the time seven rolled by, she was ready to go. "Bye, Dad," she said, walking out the door. He called a reply after her. _It's too early for this_, (y/n) thought, yawning. On the way downstairs, she bumped into a tall figure in a trench coat and scarf. "S-sorry, I didn't see you..." she mumbled, tired.

The man laughed. "How could you not see me?"

(y/n) had to look up a bit to see his face properly. "God, you're so tall- AH! I hope that didn't sound rude! I... I'm sorry, I was just spacing out..."

The man laughed again. "Well, if it wasn't meant to be rude, then I guess I'll take it as a compliment!" He was the man who apologized last night. "I will see you later, da?"

"Yeah, see you later." (y/n) walked out of the building before even realising what just happened. "Wait, WHAT?!" She turned to run back up to where she'd bumped into the man, but her mother's car was parked on the side of the road.

"Hey! Get in loser, we're going shopping!"

(y/n) froze in her tracks. "Mum... did you just quote Mean Girls to me...?"

"Yeah... so?"

(y/n) shrugged, getting into the car. "We're not _really_ going shopping, are we?" she asked, hopefully. "At _seven in the morning?_"

"Do you honestly think any shops would be open?" Rhonda scolded, starting the car. She drove down the road, to her house. "I made waffles," she said happily as they walked inside.

"How the heck are you this happy in the morning?"

"It's called coffee. A wonderful thing you are too young to experience."

"Alfred drinks _lots_ of coffee. Maybe that's why he's so hyper."

"Ah, did you guys finish off your assignment?"

"Ha! No, we didn't."

"You know what..." Rhonda said, _that_ glaze in her eyes.

"Oh no, Mum, you're coming up with something..."

"You know who I think would make a cute couple?"

"Mum, _please_..."

"You and Alfred."

(y/n) choked on the waffle she was eating. "Alfred?! Mum, what the hell?! He's not even my friend! And he's _way_ too annoying!"

"Alright, I'm just saying~!"

"Are you sure you only drank coffee?" Rhonda laughed. (y/n) groaned. "Why can't I just stay at Dad's...?" she mumbled. Rhonda instantly stopped laughing.

"What was that?" she asked, harshly.

"Nothing."

"So, did the new neighbours move in?"

"Yeah. I think I met one this morning. On the stairs."

"That tall guy in the trench coat and scarf?"

"You saw him?"

"Yes, he came downstairs to check the mail. I've got a weird feeling about him... be careful, (y/n)."

The next day, there was news of two new students at school. Apparently, one of them was in the same year as (y/n), Year Ten. Obviously, they weren't in her English class, which she had first period. She went to Maths, to find the man from yesterday in her assigned seat.

"Um... can I help you?" she asked, slightly annoyed, partly due to this, and partly due to the fact that she had a Health assignment due next period, which she hadn't even started. "You're... kinda in my seat."

"Oh? Sorry, (y/n)." The man- er, boy, though that was hard to believe, because he was so _freaking_ tall- got up out of (y/n)'s seat, with his bag and laptop, and moved to the end of the same row of desks, smiling at her.

"That's alright," she replied, before sitting down. "Wait- HOW THE HECK DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?!" she screamed, snapping her head to face him. He merely smiled a closed-eye smile. He hurt a little inside at her words. (y/n) groaned and let her head flop on the desk.

"Guten morgen, (y/n). How was your weekend?" Lili asked, sitting next to her.

"It was alright. You?"

"Well, Vash was rather annoyed. There was some sort of screaming upstairs-" The new boy turned his head and listened, a faint blush growing on his cheeks. _They heard that...?_ "-so Vash threatened them with his gun. And then the eldest girl, who was scared, called the landlord, who confiscated all of Vash's guns."

"We told him what would happen, didn't we?"

"Ja, we did, but bruder is still as stbborn as ever. Um... who's that?" Lili glanced to the new kid, when she noticed him looking at them. He was now typing away on his laptop.

"I have no idea..." (y/n) said, slowly. "But he knows my name."

"Well... that's not creepy at all."

"Ciao, (y/n)! Did you bring any pasta today?"

"No, Feli. I didn't, sorry. I only brought sandwiches."

"Oh... do you reckon Ludwig brought any?"

"Feli?" asked the new kid, looking away from his laptop. "As in Feliciano Vargas?"

"S-si..." Feliciano replied, starting to freak out.

The new kid smiled. "You don't seem to have changed at all. My sister made me some pasta for lunch- I'm not really fond of it, so you can have it if you like."

Feliciano backed away, back to his seat at the back of the room, next to Kiku and Ludwig. Lili and (y/n) shared a look with raised eyebrows. "I... I already ate the pasta I had this morning... I don't need any more..." he said, siting down quickly.

The new kid sighed. "Nothing's changed." Despite the fact he sounded sad, he still smiled.

(y/n) and Lili were hopeful to find out his name when the teacher called the roll, (they were too nervous to ask) but there was a casual teacher instead, who handed around a piece of paper for them to write their names on. "Well, there's our hopes down the drain..." (y/n) mumbled as Lili passed the paper along to the new kid.

(y/n) spent the rest of the day avoiding him, but she noticed that he was hanging around with the three most nervous students at school- Toris Laurinaitis, Eduard von Bock and Raivis Galante. She saw them talking but didn't know what they were talking _about_. They trembled in his presence, though he had a friendly-looking smile on his face. There was something intimidating about him, but he also seemed somewhat familiar to (y/n). But that was impossible.

Right?

**_Guten morgen- good morning in German._**

**_I don't think I have much else to say about this... But I think I'd like to bring attention to my OTP. (especially since there's a movie coming out that has characters that look JUST like them. But, y'know, NOT anime style.) Now, this is a RussiaxReader story, so they won't be in it... but it's Russia and Liechtenstein. Just let that adorable-ness sink into your eyes. I really love it... it's so sweet... but very hard to find fanart/fics for._**

**_So, please, tell me what you think~! Once again, constructive criticism is welcomed, as it helps me with my writing. Also, going along with the first author's note, if anyone knows any cool facts about Russia (...no pun intended... *facepalm*) or even any other country, tell me! I love learning random facts about places, even before Hetalia I did._**


	6. Chapter 6

**I feel so bad... I'm procrastinating... I need six texts written for English tomorrow, but I've only done one and started another... urgh... You see, this is why I hate English. Do I ever do assignments in Japanese or Russian? No. (Shut up- I know I don't take subjects like that. Just... let me rant. Okay, well, rant over.)**

**This is where things start getting... complicated. Oh, and if you haven't figured it out already, 'the new kid' is Ivan. I tell you, only in these sorts of stories does stuff like this happen XD**

_**Chapter**_** Six**

Lunch rolled by, and (y/n) noticed that the new kid was gone from the three boys. She didn't know why, but she wanted to know more about him...

"I'll be back, Lili," she said, leaving her bag at the same table as her blonde friend.

"Alright, (y/n). If not, I'll bring your bag to class."

"Thanks!" As (y/n) reached the trio, they noticed her, and stopped the conversation they were having. Little Raivis seemed to have fear in his eyes. "Hi, guys!"

"H-hello, (y/n)," Toris said, shakily.

_Why's he so scared...?_ "So, you guys have been hanging out with the new kid?"

"Yes... yes we have..."

There was an awkward silence. The three didn't really want to talk, for some reason, and (y/n) didn't want to pressure them into doing so. The four stood there for a full minute, before Raivis couldn't take it anymore.

"We're sorry we told him about you-!"

"RAIVIS!" yelled the others, covering his mouth. (y/n) cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"Told... who about me?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Privyet, (y/n)!" _Well, speak of the devil..._ Toris and Eduard dropped their hands, and Raivis began shaking. "Raivis, why are you always shaking? You should probably get that checked out..."

Raivis laughed nervously. "Y-yes, of course..." He hadn't been so shaky until today.

"Alright, then, I... I gotta go... bye!" (y/n) called, turning to run. She couldn't ask about him now that he was there. A hand was placed on her shoulder, and she looked back to see the new kid, eyebrows furrowed, and... _no smile on his face._

"(y/n)... you're not... _avoiding_ me... da?" She didn't know why, but him using that word annoyed her. She shook her shoulder free.

"Well, yes, I am, because I don't even _know_ you!" she shouted, running back to Lili. It wasn't until she got back to the table when her brain registered the colour of his eyes. _Violet... no. No, it's just my imagination. _She couldn't just _ask_ if he was Ivan... then, if he wasn't, she'd look like an idiot.

_But if he is...?_

Ivan watched as (y/n) ran away, hand outstretched. "(y-y/n)..."

_"She hates you,"_ someone said. It wasn't Toris, or either of the others. "_She hates you for what your grandfather did_."

"She's... she's _not_ like that..." he said, dropping his hand. Toris looked at him in concern.

_"But you haven't seen her in years. She could've changed_."

"Who's not like... what?" Ivan looked at him, blinking. He'd momentarily forgotten that the trio were there.

"Was (y/n) like this before?"

"Well, she's been kind of mixed up, ever since her parents got divorced," Eduard stated. The others looked at her.

"And you know this, _how_?'

"She used to have a blog... she had a pseudonym, of course, but it was very obvious."

"So basically..." Toris said. "You stalked her."

"No!"

"(y/n) shouldn't be stalked, Eduard," Ivan said, glaring at the bespectacled Estonian.

"B-but isn't that sort of like what you're doing?" Raivis asked.

"RAIVIS!"

(y/n) waited outside, by the school gate. Vash was going to pick her and Lili up, to take them home. It was much quicker than the half-hour walk. She felt someone's presence behind her, and, expecting Lili, (who had gone to the bathroom) was surprised to see the new kid.

She was waiting by the back gate of the school, which was on a small, empty road. With no one else around. _Is this where I get bashed up and left to die?_ she couldn't help thinking, no matter how hard she tried to push it out of her head. He _seemed_ friendly enough.

He glanced back the way he'd come, and gave a sigh of relief. It was when he looked ahead of him that he noticed (y/n). He smiled, and said a quiet hello. He sounded a lot more... unsure, ever since lunch.

_"She detests you, and wishes she'd never met you."_

"Um... hi." She caught the violet eyes again. "You're hallucinating..." she said to herself, shaking her head.

"Pardon?"

"Uh... nothing. It's just..." She decided she'd tell him what was bugging her. "It's just that you remind me of an old friend."

_"She doesn't even __**recognise **__you, Ivan. You see? She never cared."_

"(y/n)..."

Suddenly, there were quick footsteps. "Big brother, where are you?!"

_"Now __**here's**__ someone who cares..."_

"D-do svidanya, (y/n)!" he shouted, bolting along the pathway. A girl with long, blonde hair came running out of the school gate.

"Where did he go?! I saw him talking with you..." she said, in a creepy voice. All (y/n) could do was point down the road. She watched the girl run down the road, a large ribbon bouncing on top of her head. _Not even a thank you..._

"(y/n)!" called Lili, running up the gate. "Is bruder here yet?" As if on cue, Vash's dark green car turned around the corner and stopped in front of them.

"Perfect timing!" (y/n) said to Vash as she opened one of the back doors. Lili took the seat next to her, leaving the front passenger seat empty.

"I saw the new boy talking to you. Was he nice?"

"I dunno, Lili. He really only said hello in Russian. And then he ran off."

"Strange... I saw that girl chasing him. She pushed me aside."

"Who pushed you aside, Lili?!" Vash asked from the front seat, only catching the last part of the conversation.

"Don't worry, Vash," she replied. Vash was _very_ overprotective of his adopted sister. The two changed the topic of conversation, and discussed homework instead. (y/n) told Lili about the detention she received for not doing her assignment.

"Lili, don't let (y/n)'s laziness rub off on you!"

The two girls laughed. Vash shook his head, a slight smile on his face.

"Danke, bruder," Lili said as the two girls got out of the car. "Sorry for making you late for work."

"Don't worry, it's no problem. I think my boss is scared of me..." The girls laughed again. It seemed even his boss wasn't safe from his trigger-happiness.

"I'll get dinner started for you-"

"Nein, I'll bring something home. The oven's not working properly."

"Okay, bruder. Goodbye."

"Bye, Vash, thanks!" (y/n) said, feeling like a third wheel. Vash drove off, and they walked into the apartment building.

"Goodbye, (y/n)," Lili said, opening the door to her apartment. (y/n) said her goodbye, and walked up the last flight of stairs. She'd received quite a bit of homework to do, and she'd gotten plenty of detention threats from teachers for not doing it. "Dad?" she called out, checking to see if he was home. It was Monday, so he should be... unless he was out with his girlfriend. (y/n) decided that that must be it, and walked to the fridge to grab some cookies and cream ice cream she'd spotted that morning.

"Geez, I _hate_ her..." she trailed off, flicking through the TV channels, finally settling on Cartoon Network, which was having an Adventure Time and Regular Show marathon. They weren't the best shows in the world, but they were better than anything else that was on. _Homework can wait..._

_**Okay, as Estonia said, (y/n)'s kinda messed up from her parent's divorce- don't tell me that doesn't happen, I'm currently going through that. I think I'm going to end it here, because as I said, I have English work to do...**_

_**Oh, and no, the reader DOESN'T hate Russia... the voices in his head are telling him that. Yeah, remember what I said, back in Chapter One? This was inspired by many things, including the fan theory about the countries being people before they were countries. But I don't exactly know the symptoms of schizophrenia... I believe it's called creative licence. (My sister said I have schizophrenic tendencies...)**_

_**Constructive criticism is welcomed, and reviews are very much appreciated~! It makes my day every time I see that one of my stories has a review~**_


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